How do you tell?

How do you tell if someone’s opinion is just different from yours, from when they are a cold, calculating, vile, Cheney-like human being?

Today’s case: the people who say investing in Green Energy is bad for business and the economy, insisting that the staff of their oil rigs outweigh everyone else, and meanwhile China is cornering the market on solar panels and wind turbines in an industry providing well over one MILLION jobs. (1.3 according to this article: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/31/business/energy-environment/31renew.html)

In California right now, Texan oil companies have spent 7.9 million dollars (out of 8.2 raised) on a proposition eliminating a clean energy bill we passed in 2006, and they are expected to spend even more as the election approaches. (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/17/us/17pollute.html?_r=1&hp) They are trying the same old scare tactics to justify their blatant self interest (at the expense of the REST OF THE WORLD) by saying the initiative will cost jobs and raise gas prices. Boogedy boogedy.

Do they know about those million jobs China has added to produce solar panels and wind turbines? Do they realize they are full of shit or do they actually believe themselves?

I just don’t get it. They are a profanely rich oil company. The move towards renewable energy has to happen. It is going to happen. If not here, then elsewhere. It will create a massive amount of jobs, and be the economy of the future, with the fringe benefit of, you know, saving our fucking lives. The mind-shatteringly obvious question is “why don’t THEY do the work?” I understand selfishness, especially in a corporation where it is built into the fundamental charter, but why doesn’t Valero invest those 4 million dollars in making wind turbines instead of running manipulative TV commercials? Poor Valero, they want so hard to be the shiniest emblem in Satan’s porno magazine, but that damn BP is just too good at what they do.
Yuck, I can’t talk about this anymore right now. But I gotta say, if California passes this initiative and kills the (honestly fairly mild) green energy bill we passed four years ago… Nevermind. Optimism! It is a beautiful day! Think about kittens!

And technologies are getting better. Like cars (looking for that silver lining pretty hard here). Did you know you don’t have to change your oil every 3,000 miles anymore? Cars have gotten better, and, depending on how severe of conditions you drive in, you can easily wait 5,000 or even 10,000 between changes.

Here, and I recommend the one about loading your washing machine and dishwasher properly too. (Yes, I was clearly browsing the NY Times while eating lunch today.)